


At last, I can see.

by Vanya Quenta (believeinsherlock221b)



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Bilbo, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-01
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-27 18:52:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/665289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/believeinsherlock221b/pseuds/Vanya%20Quenta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo has been in his nice little hobbit hole for quite some time now, having decided that a quiet life was what he needed. Of course Gandalf had to come ruin that for him. Now he wants him to go gallivanting across middle earth with a company of dwarves, the leader of which is quite bad at first impressions. Bilbo has some secrets that the dwarves are dying to figure out, but he doesn't want them to know. How long will it take before he is either forced to tell them, or trusts them enough to let them know?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting Bilbo

He had only come outside to sit on his bench so that he could read the newspaper and smoke a bit. Everyone in the Shire knew that he was to be left alone in the mornings, and all of the Hobbits feared crossing him.

That meant that there was only one person who could be walking up his path right now, it was confirmed when he heard the tell tale sound of the staff being used as a walking stick.

“Wizard” the Hobbit greeted without looking up. He blew a smoke ring that filled itself in and began to bounce around the brim of the wizards’ hat.

The elderly looking man chuckled, “It is good to see you again, my old friend. It has been too long.”

Finally the Hobbit looked at him, “I’m sure you have a reason for coming, as I know you always do, and it will probably involve my leaving the Shire. Will you be giving me the details now, or are you going to wait until I have no way of saying no?”

“Bilbo, I would never ask anything of you unless it were important. I have come to request that you join me and some companions on an adventure.”

He was regarded critically for a moment, “When will your companions be arriving, Gandalf?”

Gandalf grinned sheepishly, “This evening. All I have told them is that they will be meeting a hobbit and they should not judge him on appearance alone. But you know Dwarves, a stubborn sort.”

“Erebor. You want me to return to Erebor.”

The glare the wizard received would have felled a Man. After a few minutes, in which the hobbit seemed to be deliberating, he stood with a nod, said “Good morning,” and walked into his home.

 

  ***

 

An hour after the sun set Bilbo heard a knock at his door. He glanced around the dining room, where the table was filled with all of the food he had managed to find and prepare on such short notice.

“Dwalin, at your service,” was the greeting Bilbo received, followed by a bow, upon opening the door. The hobbit nodded to him and moved out of the way.

“Bilbo Baggins at yours. I shall take your coat, there is dinner on the table in the first room to the left.”

He had just finished making tea when there was another knock at the door.

“Balin, at your service.”

Bilbo repeated what he had said to Dwalin, taking Balins’ coat and directing him to the dining room.

He watched the brothers embrace and knock heads and smiled at what he considered to be the silliness of some dwarven customs.

The next time he opened the door, the braids and the faces he was met with sparked memories from long ago.

“Kíli” the dark haired, beardless dwarf began.

“—And Fíli” his brother had cut him off.

“At your service” they finished together, bowing.

Bilbo accidentally muttered, “Durin’s Folk” and he looked up at the gasp made in response to his utterance. The two young dwarves stared as if he had grown a second head. Bilbo shook himself and moved out of the doorway.

“I will take your coats, you may put your weapons to the side. Dinner is in the first room on the left. There is a mat to wipe your feet Master Kíli. Should you wipe them on that box you will not see the sun rise again.”

The two brothers were surprised by the promise behind the threat, and they quickly shuffled to the mat to remove the mud from the bottom of their boots.

When they entered the dining room, Bilbo, from his place in the hall, could hear the dwarves all greet each other fondly, before quieting down and tucking in.

The next knock was that of a staff pounding against the door. ‘If that wizard dents my door I shall maim him’ Bilbo thought to himself as he turned the doorknob.

All of the dwarves fell onto the rug, unprepared for the door to open so suddenly. Bilbo looked down in amusement to the dwarven pile at his feet. Gandalf stood behind them all, smirking. It took a while but finally the dwarves made in back onto their feet.

Glóin, Óin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori all greeted Bilbo with bows. The hobbit then directed them to the dining room. The group of dwarves began moving towards the dining room eagerly, tripping over each other to get their first.

Gandalf stood in the hallway with Bilbo. “I may as well now go on this adventure, considering the dwarves are going to eat me out of house and home.”

This caused the wizard to let out a full laugh.

“Where is the leader of your quest, Thorin Oakenshield? I will decide whether or not I shall accompany you after I have met him.”

“I see you have not lost your talent for knowing names. But to pass judgment on your first impression would be unwise my friend, for the leader of this quest is the most stubborn of all dwarves and is unlikely to see what merit a small hobbit could bring to his company. But do not judge him too harshly, he has been through much sorrow, and I do believe that one day he will learn to be less pigheaded. Should he have the right teacher.”

Bilbo did not miss the twinkle in the wizard’s eye as he glanced down at him after saying this leader needed the right teacher. The old man was trying to match-make for him yet again. The hobbit rolled his eyes just as there was a knock at the door.

He opened it to find a regal, and dare he say handsome, dwarf.  The dwarf took one look at him after entering, then threw a glare at Gandalf before saying “He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.”

It looked like Gandalf was going to respond but Bilbo was not having it. “Without question or argument I have invited you into my home, I have fed your kin, and yet you insult me after one glance.” Bilbo paused and took notice of the rest of the dwarves who were crowded at the entrance to the dining room.

“You know nothing of me, Thorin Oakenshield but you judge because you assume that I will never understand the hardships you have faced since losing your home. You assume that I will be a burden to your company and to yourself because I am a small little hobbit.”

Bilbo would have continued ranting, but he was stopped when Gandalf placed a hand on his shoulder, “My dear Bilbo, I think you have made your point, and made it quite well.”

When he glanced around at the dwarves their expressions ranged from shock to terror, and he may have been imagining the slow spreading wet stain on Dwalin’s pants, but either way he found it amusing.

“I apologize, I did not mean to let my anger get the better of me,” he said to Thorin and the others and then at Gandalf. “Did I begin to shift? Terrible business, haven’t don’t it in years.”

With a smile, Bilbo shooed the dwarves back into the dining room to finish their meal. He knew some were still listening, but he did not care as he turned back to Gandalf. “Their stubbornness and disdain for outsiders is why I left the dwarves after Thrain I discovered Erebor. It appears as if the race of dwarves has still not learned. I will not travel with those who are blinded by pride.”

“I did mention he has never been good at first impressions, did I not? My friend, your inclusion in this journey is something I feel very strongly about. Please, enter my mind so that you will understand why this is so important.”

The shorter man shook his head, “No, no. I trust you. I will go, but I do wish to keep my secrets as long as I am able. Until I can trust the dwarves, they are not to know my name.”

Gandalf smiled, “Of course, Bilbo Baggins. By the way, did I ever mention how much I like this particular name? B has always been my favorite letter.”

The odd statement startled a laugh out of the hobbit and the two went to join the dwarves, who were clearing to the table so that they could begin discussing particulars about the trip.

Bombur stopped him as he entered, “Thank you for the meal, it was quite delicious. I have not had such good a meal since before we lost Erebor, when my mother was alive. If you don’t mind, I would love to talk to about cooking sometime, it is a favorite hobby of mine, and I am the company cook.”

Bilbo grinned widely at the dwarf, “You are most welcome, and I would love to converse with you. In fact, I have a few old cookbooks that I’m sure you would love. They are all old dwarven recipes.”

The rotund dwarf beamed at him, he bowed a little before moving away to take his seat at the table. The hobbit took a seat beside Gandalf just as Thorin seated himself at the head of the table.

“Master Baggins, do you know why we are here?” Balin asked.

“You have come to find a burglar to help you take your home back from a dragon. I’m sure you have a contract, let me see it.”

The oldest dwarf blinked in surprise but handed him the thick folded paper, which when unfolded stood at twice his height. He skimmed it very quickly, laughing at the section about incineration.

He only had one comment to make, “I will not take your gold. You may put my share towards helping you rebuild Erebor or whatever other use you find for it.”

“We must pay you somehow!” One of the dwarfs argued.

“You may pay me in stories, and nothing else. I have no need for your gold, I have plenty of my own that I have never used.  But I always have use for stories.”

It looked like they may try to argue with him again, so he took a pen, edited the document himself and then signed it.

“There. Now, does anyone have a map? Because I know that the front gates will not be how we get into the mountain.”

They all looked shiftily around at each other before a glare from Gandalf prompted Thorin to remove a small map from the inside pocket of his coat. He laid it out and Bilbo could see immediately that it would be of no help to them at the moment.

“Moon runes." He declared, and all of the dwarves just stared at him, so he began to clarify, "That’s what it is written in. There are few people in Middle Earth who are able to read them, and I know of only one who will be able to tell you the exact date and shape of the moon that will be required to read them.”

Thorin began to scowl, and Bilbo knew what was coming, so he decided to interrupt Thorin before he could begin.

“Listen now and listen well, Thorin Thráinûl, Khûnmel Sigin-tarâg. You will never regain Erebor, nor be King Under the Mountain if you are blind to all except what you wish to see. You have the potential to be Khûnmelekh, but if you let greed and pride and an old feud get in the way of doing what is good and right for your people, you will do nothing but fail.” He finished with a huff.

Shocked and slightly awed silence was the only response. Thorin looked emotionally constipated, as if he could not decide which emotion he was feeling, nor could he work out what all of the emotions meant.

Bilbo sat back down, “Now, I have a bag that was given to me by a friend quite some time ago that can fit an infinite number of things, but never fills and is as light as a feather. I should think that we should all put our packs in there, so that we may travel quickly. If there is anything that you wish you had brought with you, feel free to ask and I will see if I have something of a similar nature.

“If you will all follow me, I shall lead you to rooms you may stay in tonight.”

He stood, and all the dwarves stood after him. They all did trail behind him. He put two to a bed, and four to a room and told them he would be back after everyone had a room to ask if there was anything they wanted him to include in his bag. Dwalin, Balin, Nori and Dori in one room. Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and Óin in the next.

“Kíli, Fíli, Ori, the three of you will have to share one bed, but it is especially large so I think it will be fine.”

Once the youngest dwarfs were taken care of, he turned to the remaining two, “Glóin, you are married correct?” He waited until he heard and affirmative answer, “You may have the room across the hall.” The dwarf looked surprised and grateful as he thanked the hobbit and took to the room.

The last door on the hallway led to the last bedroom, “Thorin, you may take my room for the night. Is there anything you would like me to put in my bag?”

The dwarf prince shook his head, and looked as if he were going to say something else before deciding not to and turning away. Just as the door was about to shut he heard a quiet “Thank you, burglar.”

His smile kept as he went around asking each of the dwarves. Kíli and Fíli asked for soft blankets and pillows. Ori was shy at first but Bilbo was able to coax the desire for yarn, paper and extra pens out of him. Bilbo was happy to oblige the young dwarves.

Glóin asked for a safe place to keep the picture of his wife and son he had brought. Óin asked for extra soap. Bombur asked for extra cooking supplies, as all they had were a pan and spoon. Bilbo promised he would remedy that situation first. Bofur and Bifur asked for a chess set. Dwalin asked for ale and Balin asked for books.

He said good night to the last of the dwarves and made his way back to the sitting room, which is where he knew he would find the wizard.

“You have not changed my friend. Asking them to pay you in stories is very naughty.”

The two shared a laugh, “Are you going to help me pack, old man, or just sit around all night?”

“You are older than I am!” Gandalf exclaimed, before standing up.

They both heard two sets of feet scurrying back to the nearest bedroom and smirked, “I look forward to seeing how they interpret all of the bits and pieces they have gotten tonight” Bilbo said.

Gandalf nodded in agreement.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone would like to be the beta for this story, please message me!
> 
> Thráinuûl - Son of Thráin  
> Khûnmel - King  
> Sigin-tarâg - Longbeards (another name for Durin's Folk)  
> Khûnmelekh - King of all Kings


	2. Traveling and Trolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They set off on their journey, and Bilbo is quick to make friends with the dwarf princelings as well as Bifur and Bofur. Balin tells the story of the battle of Azanulbizar, there are trolls, and Bilbo and Gandalf are definitely keeping secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter! I know it has a lot in it, I couldn't stop.

The next morning the dwarves woke early to the smell of a freshly cooked breakfast. Balin and Dori were the first to stumble into the dining room. Thorin soon followed, looking much too regal for the crack of dawn.

Within the next half hour all of the dwarves had shuffled into the dining room and had quickly and easily consumed all of the food Bilbo had prepared. Thorin and the elder dwarves were eager to head out, to utilize as much of the daytime as they could.

 Bilbo was the last one out of the hobbit hole and the dwarves watched as he stopped and felt his pockets. With a small exclamation the hobbit raced back into his hole. When he emerged a final time he became aware of all of the stares.

“Sorry. Forgot my handkerchief,” He said, holding it up.

Thorin scoffed and began leading the march towards the stables. Only Kíli and Fíli saw the rude faces Bilbo was making behind their Uncles’ back. Their giggling drew annoyed glances from some of the other dwarves who were most assuredly not morning people, and a mischievous grin from Bilbo.

The brothers also happened to be watching Bilbo, whom they felt would be a great source of entertainment for the duration of the journey, when they arrived at the stables. They were the only ones to witness the death glare he gave Gandalf, as well as the shrug the wizard gave in response.

“I should like to think I would be forgiven were I to break that particular rule,” Bilbo said to Gandalf. Then he huffed, stuck his nose in the air, and made his way toward a golden brown pony with a white stripe down its’ nose. Only the brothers and Gandalf were paying attention as he whispered to the pony.

“Myrtle,” Bilbo said loudly, turning to face them and gesturing to the pony, “will be replacing you in my heart, wizard.”

Gandalf was the only one who laughed at the ridiculous statement.

Puzzled by what had just taken place, the brothers turned to Gandalf for an explanation. Fíli spoke up first and asked,  “What does he mean he’ll be forgiven? What rule?”

Gandalf glanced down at the dwarfs, “We are forbidden to bring harm to one another. Bilbo thinks that I use that knowledge to my advantage when I want him to do things he would not otherwise be inclined to do. I fear my old friend still has yet to overcome his dislike of riding other animals.”

Ignoring the weird phrasing of the last statement, Kíli asked, “Well, do you? Use it to your advantage?”

The wizard sniffed, insulted, “Of course not.”

“Why are you not allowed to harm each other?” Fíli resumed his own line of questioning.

“I think your uncle will be quite cross with both of you if you do not find yourselves a steed, and be quick about it,” was the only response Gandalf gave.

Once they were on the road Gandalf steered his horse beside Bilbo’s pony, after observing that the majority of the dwarves were within earshot. “You know, you do not have to ride.”

All he received for that was another glare, and after a few muttered words from Bilbo to Gandalf's steed, a bucking horse.

It was the wizard’s turn to glare.

The company watched the exchange with wide, and confused eyes.

The smirk did not leave Bilbo’s face as he steered his pony to the space in between Bifur and Bofur.

“Bifur, I understand that you only speak Khuzdûl, but do you understand the Westron?”

He received a cautious nod, the other dwarf obviously unsure as to where this line of questioning may lead. “I thought as much, but wanted to be sure. Do you like riddles, Master Bifur?”

This time the response was quite a bit more enthusiastic.

With that the two were off, barely noticing the amount of time passing as they shared riddles and jokes with each other. Bofur watched on in awe. This little hobbit was the first person outside of the family to try to make his cousin feel included since the axe was put in his head.

This banter between Bilbo and Bifur would continue over the next week with Ori occasionally joining in when he wasn't feeling too shy. Some of the dwarves had begun to question how Bilbo could understand Bifur. Though, none had brought it up to him because they saw how happy the company made both Ori and Bifur.

One night Bofur approached Bilbo after dinner. Bilbo looked up at the dwarf from where he had been examining his pipe, and gestured to the spot next to him.

“I just wanted to thank you, Master Bilbo, for being so nice to my cousin. Few have had the patience ever since the battle.”

“It is my pleasure, Master Bofur. Bifur is a delightful fellow, I am glad to have someone to share riddles with. Few within the Shire find as much joy in a game of wits as I.” Bilbo smiled brightly at the dwarf, making it very clear that he truly did enjoy speaking with Bifur.

Bofur bowed his head in thanks and took his leave, saying he did not want to bother the hobbit any longer.

Later, when they were placing out their bed mats, Bilbo took notice of Ori placing his bedmat closer to his own rather than to his brothers. It was becoming quite obvious that he felt more comfortable around Bilbo because Bilbo did not try to mother him constantly. The two had just begun a quiet conversation when the howling of wargs reverberated around the rocks that surrounded the place wherein they had chosen to set up camp for the night.

Bilbo watched Ori shake with fear as the two listened to the dwarf princelings try to make jokes about an orc attack, but Thorin was quick to shut them up, his face set in a scowl, and his whole body tense.

The brothers were taken aback by the ferocity of their Uncles' reprimand. “Thorin has more reason than most to hate orcs, as you both know.” Balin reminded them.

“I think that this is a story that I would very much like to hear,” Bilbo suggested.

Balin inclined his head, and then began. He told a tale of a young prince, whose home had just been taken by a dragon and whose people were either dead or homeless. He spoke of a battle, the battle of Azanulbizar, in which the dwarves tried to take back Moria. The battle was essentially lost from the start; many dwarves had lost their lives.

Balin tells them about the pale orc, Azog the defiler, who had cut off the head of the dwarf king Thror, and about how Thráin had gone mad at the sight.

“We were leaderless. Death and defeat were upon us.” He says that is when he saw Thorin, a man who had lost his home and his kin, who stood up to Azog yielding nothing but an oak branch, and cut off his arm. He rallied the dwarves, and together they drove the orcs back.

“That is when I knew, that Thorin was a dwarf that I could follow. He is one that I could call king.”

Bilbo felt it then. He felt the respect and love that each dwarf felt for their leader. And he understood it, why they were willing to follow Thorin on a journey where the odds were very much against them. 

For the first time in a long time, Bilbo felt a longing. He felt a longing to know and understand Thorin. A longing to drive away the despair Thorin felt, a longing to return him to his throne, a throne that Bilbo had helped create and a throne he felt partially responsible for no longer being available to the dwarves formerly of Erebor.

Bilbo pushed the thought away; he knew that those feelings, any feelings involving another, only brought pain.

That night he did not sleep, his gaze continued wandering toward the sleeping form of Thorin Oakenshield. As if staring would allow him the insight he craved. 

The next morning they began traveling with a vengeance, riding hard for long periods of time, and continued to travel that way for a good week.

On this particular day they had been riding since before dawn, and had barely slept the night before due to rain. All of them were tired; even the two princelings could not find anything to joke about. Both Ori and Bilbo had lost interest in the stories they normally shared with one another. 

Finally Thorin decided that it was time to rest and begin setting up for the night. Bilbo hopped off his pony; bag in hand, as he made his way over to where Thorin was standing.

The dwarf prince began shouting out and assigning tasks for everyone.

Bilbo took a look around, taking in the recently destroyed little house. He shared a glance with Gandalf as he knew the wizard could also feel that there was something wrong. They both began approaching Thorin.

“We should not stay here. We should make our way toward Rivendell.”

Thorin responded angrily, unwilling to listen to any argument but his own. Though, he did refrain from insulting the Elves much, which Bilbo credited to the glare he had given Thorin after he had called the Elves 'tree-huggers'.

Gandalf turned away, and began walking back toward where they had come from.

“Wizard, where are you going?” Dwalin called after him, after realizing Thorin was not going to.

“To be away from hard-headed dwarf princes.” With that said he disappeared around the bend.

Bilbo looked between where Gandalf had disappeared and where Thorin was still standing, arms crossed across his chest. “He makes a valid point. Why is this house destroyed? A farmer and his family lived here, what has happened to them?”

He was pointedly ignored, and Thorin resumed giving at orders. The dwarfs were slow to begin unpacking and setting up camp. They could feel uneasiness radiating off of Bilbo. He did try to calm himself, as Ori was beginning to look terrified. The young dwarf rarely left his side these days.

After camp had been set up Dori called over to Ori and asked him to help him braid his hair again.

Eventually Bombur asked him to take two bowls of food to Fíli and Kíli, a distraction that Bilbo gladly accepted.

Bilbo walked away from the campsite muttering about stubborn dwarves and impatient wizards and how he was done with them all.

He was no longer pleased with the distraction when he found Fíli and Kíli muttering suspiciously to each other. Knowing that their job had been to watch the ponies, Bilbo counted the ponies that were tied up.

Two were missing. One of them was Myrtle.

“How did the two of you manage to lose two ponies? Including Myrtle. You’ve lost my Myrtle!”

The brothers jumped, not having noticed Bilbo before.

“Well, we’re really not sure. Something took them.” Kíli responded.

Bilbo looked at them despairingly, “And what, pray tell, would have taken the ponies?”

“Whatever did that to the trees,” Fíli told him, indicating the many trees that had been knocked over, which Bilbo had somehow managed to overlook before.

This time when he observed the area, everything clicked. “Trolls.”

He took off, tossing the still full bowls to the dwarf princes, following the path that the trolls had made. The two dwarfs were right behind him.

They hid behind a tree and had a good view of the ponies as well as three massive trolls.

Bilbo turned to the brothers, “Go back and tell your uncle that two of the ponies have been taken. I will go in and free them, but we should not allow the trolls to remain here. They should not have come down from the mountains.”

Kíli and Fíli nodded without a second thought and ran off to get their uncle and the rest of the company.

Quickly, the small hobbit crept towards the enclosure where the ponies were, cursing the fact that he had not thought to grab a knife from either dwarf. Channeling the powers he had spent many decades trying to forget that he had, Bilbo breathed a small amount of fire onto the rope. It fell away easily, and he whispered to Myrtle to lead the others to the clearing where the rest of the ponies were.

Once the ponies were gone Bilbo began looking around, thinking of the best way to get rid of the trolls. Before he was able to fully come up with any ideas, one of the trolls grabbed him and blew his nose.

Bilbo was going to kill the wizard for dragging him on the adventure. He was now covered in troll bogeys and being stared at by three dim-witted mountain trolls who were convinced he had just come out of the nose of the one holding him.

“I did not come out of your nose, master troll.”

“Then where did you come from? And what are you?” Asked the troll to his right.

Bilbo decided to be conversational “I come from the shire, I am a hobbit. Why are you so far from the mountains?”

“Because we no longer fear man, dwarf or elf. We never heard of hobbits before though.” The third of the trolls seemed to be the brightest, though his grammar needed work.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just eat ‘em.”

The trolls then began arguing about whether or not they were going to eat him. That is when he saw the flash of grey in the trees directly opposite from him, and he smiled. Now he had a plan.

It took a while but Bilbo finally got their attention, “Could you please set me down, while you argue over whether or not you should eat me? I would very much like to sit on the ground, heights aren’t good for hobbits.”

Without a second thought the trolls put him down and resumed arguing. Bilbo looked into the woods and saw the dwarves ready to come to his aid. He motioned for them to wait and then smiled.

“Trolls, I have a gift for you.”

The trolls looked down at him and he gestured towards a rock on the other side of the clearing.

Gandalf stood atop the rock, “The dawn will take you all!”

The troll who thought he had sneezed Bilbo out asked, “What is that? Can we eat him too?”

The wizard slammed down his staff and the rock broke in half, revealing the rising sun. The trolls let out pained grunts as they slowly turned to stone.

Bilbo and Gandalf high-fived each other, as the dwarves made their way into the clearing.

“Where did you go?” Thorin asked Gandalf.

“I was looking ahead.”

“Why did you come back, then?”

“Looking behind. Nasty business.” Gandalf’s eyes twinkled as Bilbo let out a snort. Thorin glared at them both.

“Well, tomorrow we will have a troll cave to find, but I think it is time for a nice story before we go to sleep, what do you think Bilbo?”

Bilbo grinned, “Oh yes, and I have just the story in mind.”

They had made their way back to the camp, and the fire was built up and the company seated around it Balin looked at Bilbo, “Which story would you like to hear this evening, master Baggins?”

Gandalf and Bilbo shared a glance, “I would very much like to hear the story of Ulgan Khevarûn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone would like to be my beta, please let me know! I'm still looking!
> 
> Ulgan Khevarûn - God Who is Friend to Dwarves


	3. Ulgan Khevarûn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Ulgan Khevarûn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder: Ulgan Khevarûn - God Who is Friend to Dwarves

“How do you know of Ulgan Khevarûn, hobbit?” Thorin asked defensively, eyes flashing.

Bilbo rolled his eyes, “Would you like it if I called you dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield? You know my name and you shall use it, as I am more than just a hobbit. You said you would pay me in stories, you did not say I was not allowed to request certain stories. This is the story I would like to hear.”

None of the dwarves knew whether or not he was being serious when he suggested he was not only a hobbit. They all immediately thought of the night they had met him and how it looked as if he were beginning to change into something else when he was yelling at Thorin.

But of course, none of them mentioned it. Thorin made eye contact with Bilbo and after a moment of silent deliberating, Thorin stood, “You are right, I shall tell the story.”

Thorin took a deep breath, as if trying to collect himself and his memories. “It is said that Mahal himself taught Ulgan Khevarûn the secret language of his children, as well as all other languages. Some say that he is one of the Valar, for he spent many thousands of years with our race. Some say that he is a skinchanger, and can mold himself into any shape he wishes. It is said that Ulgan Khevarûn came over right after the seven dwarf fathers were awakened. He was not sent to Middle Earth to befriend with and aid the dwarves, but he did anyway. He is the one who aided my ancestor Durin the Deathless, whom had been created without his other half.

“Some stories suggest that Ulgan Khevarûn was Durin’s One, but that Ulgan Khevarûn could not love, though he stayed by Durin’s side throughout his life. Some say that because Ulgan Khevarûn knew that Durin was one day going to die, he kept love for my kinsman to himself so as to spare them both from the pain. Legend says that this is why all dwarves love only one person, and they love them without any reservations, and when their beloved dies, they will quickly follow, because Durin and Ulgan Khevarûn were unable to do so. 

“Durin pledged the allegiance of any and all of Durin’s Folk to Ulgan Khevarûn, and to this day we all memorize the pledge and are bound to uphold it. He participated in one of the rituals of our people. On his back, his skin was inked with his name, so that all may know who he is and what he means to the Durin’s Folk. Ulgan Khevarûn is the one who tried to save the seven dwarf lords from the evil clutches of the gold sickness caused by the rings of Sauron. He fought with Durin’s Folk in the battle against Sauron. Though he cared for all Khazâd, he favored the Sigin-tarâg, and remained loyal to them.

“No one knows what became of Ulgan Khevarûn. Some say he returned to the Undying Lands because he could no longer watch his friends die, be it in peace or in battle, as he continued on. Others say he took to wandering after he helped our people settle in Erebor, because it is said that he had always longed to travel. Rumors passed down within Durin’s Folk say that it is because Thráin I angered him in some way, and he left out of anger. Some of those not of Durin’s Folk claim he has abandoned all Khazâd.”

Bilbo’s eyes were very bright at this point in the story. In a thick voice, he asked Thorin, “And what do you think became of him?”

Thorin looked at him with a small, sad smile. “I know the traits of the line of Durin. I know well how frustrating members of my bloodline can be. I believe the rumors that he became frustrated with my ancestor, but I also believe that he will return to us, if he is still in Middle Earth.”

“Thorin Oakenshield, I believe you may be right. Thank you very much for that story. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you would tell me, for I know how closely dwarves guard their culture.” Bilbo may be wrong, but as the two held each other’s gaze, he thought he saw the princes’ face begin to turn red.

Gandalf stood up, breaking the moment. “Off to bed, everyone. I shall take first watch. We have quite a journey tomorrow, getting as much rest as possible is very important on journeys such as this.”

If anyone noticed that Bilbo and Thorin had placed their bed mats within a foot of the other, they did not comment. Yet.


	4. Wargs, Radagast, and Rivendell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are making progress on their journey, though Bilbo is constantly exasperated with the dwarrows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rísduflâd-Skin mirror (roughly)-->This was Bilbo's name when they first came to Middle Earth
> 
> Im nagelir lín garhadhodrim gorefah adabanann-I am happy you are together again with dwarves, after so long
> 
> Guren glassui-Thank you from my heart
> 
> Faerlavan-Spirit animal
> 
> Im sekaithulli eich, nín elvellon-I have missed you, my friend
> 
> Seiphant eich, hîr vuin?-Have you aged, my lord?

The next morning found the company of dwarves, as well as Bilbo and Gandalf, in a troll cave.

“It smells wretched in here,” Bilbo commented to Bifur and Ori, who had taken up their customary places beside him. Both nodded in agreement.

Bilbo made his way toward a pile of weapons in the corner. On top were three fine blades of Elven make. Thorin, whose attention had also been grabbed by the weaponry, picked up the long sword and held it aloft, admiring the craftsmanship.

“Ah, a fine blade. Crafted by the Elves in the Elder Days,” Gandalf said, picking up the second long sword and admiring it.

Thorin’s expression of admiration turned quickly to disgust, but he was stopped from putting the blade down by a harsh “You could not want for a finer blade,” from Gandalf. He walked off, taking with him the sword he had decided to claim for his own.

The last of the three was a small sword, probably meant as a knife for an Elf, but it would work fine as a short sword for him. “They will glow blue, when orcs or goblins are near” he told Thorin, who only nodded.

Kíli and Fíli were at his side as soon as Thorin moved away. “Master Boggins, I think Uncle has gone soft for you.”

“That is not my name, and what are the two of you blathering about? Your uncle does not care for me.”

The princelings shared a sly glance, “And if he did? What would you say to being courted by the King Under the Mountain?”

Bilbo’s only response was a slight reddening of his ears, a roll of his eyes and the exasperated sigh of “Children.” After he felt he had adequately responded to their question, he moved away to go stand with Ori and Bifur.

Once Thorin grew bored with the trolls hoard, the company began making their way again, only to be stopped by the yowl of a warg that was very close.

The warg, presumably a scout, appeared on the boulder behind Bilbo. Thorin gave the order for Kíli to shoot, and everyone in the company stopped breathing when Bilbo plucked the arrow from the air. He then turned to face the warg.

Snarls were exchanged, becoming less and less angry sounding, until the warg climbed down from the rock and stood beside Bilbo.

“Everyone, this is Ragnarök, he is the chief of the tribe Ungrök. He and the rest of his tribe will journey with us from now on. Are there any questions?”

The dwarves stared at him in awe, while Gandalf just chuckled as he observed all of their faces.

Nori broke the silence, “Are you trying to tell me that that thing just agreed to turn against its’ masters and join us? And how could you possibly be able to communicate with it? I mean talking to Bifur is one thing, but a warg?”

It was the latter of the two questions that seemed to hold the most interest for the rest of the company.

Bilbo looked as if he were preparing to answer, when the sound of something racing towards them reached their ears. The dwarves all began preparing to fight whatever was about to burst into the clearing.

“Put down your weapons, it is only Radagast.” Bilbo’s words did not seem to placate the dwarves, but Gandalf looked interested for the first time since they had defeated the trolls the night before.

Seconds later a sled, pulled by a team of rabbits, slammed into the clear. The man on the back of the sled was none other than Radagast the Brown.

“Radagast, what a surprise!” Gandalf exclaimed, moving to stand next to his friend.

The slightly confused wizard greeted him in kind, sparing a glance at the warg, and was distracted by the presence of Bilbo. “Rísduflâd! My friend, I have not seen you since the last Age!”

The man in question smiled softly, “Yes, it is good to see you again Radagast. What brings you so far from your wood?”

He began rattling off a tale about the terrible things that had been happening, and something about a hedgehog named Sebastian. Then he told them what had happened at Dol Goldur, and to finish his story, he pulled out a blade.

This blade should not exist, and surely not so far from the land of Mordor in which it was forged. Gandalf seemed particularly troubled by Radagast’s story and began questioning him hurriedly.

The yowling started up again. “We must move on, Radagast. I will personally look into what is causing your friends to die.” Gandalf promised, cutting the other wizard off.

“I will hold them off your trail!” Radagast exclaimed, and the rabbits began preparing to take off running again.

“Those are Gundabad wolves, Radagast, they will run you down!” Gandalf said worriedly.

Radagast grinned, “These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I would like to see them try.” Just before he took off, he turned to look at Bilbo, “Im nagelir lín garhadhodrim godrefah adabanann.”

“Guren glassaui,” Bilbo responded, watching Radagast with a smile.

Time passed both very slowly and very quickly as they ran from the wargs and orcs. Ragnarök helped as much as he could, throwing the other wargs off of their trail. They all watched as Radagast soared by multiple times, always faster than the ones chasing him.

“Rabbits,” Dwalin muttered in disbelief as they waited behind a boulder.

At one point it seemed as if Gandalf had disappeared, but he reappeared only to yell to the rest of the company. They all dived into the hideout Gandalf had found for them.

Bilbo turned around to try to find Ragnarök. The warg noticed and called to him in whatever language wargs speak, “Go, and we will meet again. I will try to find out the plans of the evil ones for you!”

Sliding down into the opening under the ground, Bilbo had a flashback to a time long ago when he had first slid into this secret passage. He shot a glance at Gandalf and rolled his eyes, not excited about the prospect of dealing with Thorin’s rage when he realized where this passage lead.

Kíli and Fíli took up spots on either side of Bilbo. Kíli leaned down and quietly asked, “If you and Uncle do begin courting, may we begin calling you Uncle as well?” That comment earned him a death glare as Nori began leading the company through the tunnel. Finally, after only ten minutes of squeezing and shuffling, they stood on a ridge overlooking Rivendell.

“You brought us to the elves” Thorin said to Gandalf, with as much accusation as he could muster.

Bilbo did not turn to look at Thorin as he said, “We are all tired. We are almost out of provisions, and you need your map looked at. There is no better place we could be at this moment.”

The dwarves all behaved properly until they reached the front gates and a group of elves on horses came galloping toward them. Bilbo just shook his head and sighed, wishing he had instructed them on how to greet hosts.

Elrond hopped off of his horse in front of Gandalf, “Mithrandir, my friend, welcome to my home. Are these dwarves your newest companions?”

Gandalf stepped aside, and Elrond finally saw Bilbo. “Faerlavan,” he nearly whispered, so surprised at the presence of his friend. He immediately knelt down and wrapped his arms around him.

“Im sekaithulli eich, nín elvellon.”

Bilbo smiled and placed his hand on the side of Elrond’s face, much to the annoyance of one Thorin Oakenshield. “Seiphant eich, hîr vuin?”

Both Elrond and Gandalf laughed at that, and Elrond stood again. “Any dwarves that are friends of Mithrandir and Faerlavan are friends of mine. Please, follow me and I will show you to your rooms and then we shall feast.”

The dwarves begrudgingly followed, more out of curiosity than anything else. Ori was the only one who fell behind. He had a faraway look on his face, though he snapped out of it and blushed when Dwalin placed his hand on the younger dwarfs shoulder.

“S-sorry, Master Dwalin, was I in your way?” Ori asked, embarrassedly, barely able to look at the dwarf in front of him, whose hand was still on his shoulder.

Dwalin used his other hand to tilt Ori’s chin up so they were looking into each other’s eyes, “You are never in the way, Ori.”

The younger dwarf blushed harder at that, if it was even possible. He seemed ready to respond when the sound of his brothers calling his name broke them apart.

Ori looked as if he could not decide whether he should stay and try to continue the conversation, or to go to his brothers before they came to him. Dwalin eventually made the decision for him. “Go ahead, we will talk later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to throw in some Dwalin/Ori. They are adorable. Let me know what you like/dislike. Compliments and constructive criticism are always welcomed!


	5. Dinner in Rivendell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rabbit food, elf twins, and information overload ends with a confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inc gûlti Návatar madleavin aes-What if they knew Aulë ate rabbit food

The dwarves, much to Bilbo’s embarrassment, had caused quite the ruckus when Elrond offered them separate rooms. They refused to be away from each other in “the halls of traitors”, as Thorin kept saying under his breath. Bilbo rolled his eyes.

  
When they had finally settled down, washed up for dinner, and made it to the dining hall, the mood had improved somewhat. That was until the dwarves noticed the glaring lack of meat on the table. They began to whisper very rudely to each other about the “rabbit food” and how it was not fit for dwarves. Add that to how tense they were due to their surroundings, and they quickly returned to being the sour bunch from earlier.

  
Bilbo made eye contact with each of them and that shut them up. With a smirk he said, “Inc gûlti Návatar madlevain aes." Gandalf and Elrond contained their laughter and Bilbo switched to Westron, "Thank you very much for your hospitality, this is quite a lovely spread.” He gestured to the feast laid out for them. He glanced at Thorin, willing the dwarf prince to mind his manners and thank their host.

  
“Yes, thank you,” was Thorin’s contribution.

  
Gandalf quickly changed topics, “My lord Elrond, where is Lady Arwen? I have not seen her since she was quite young.” Bilbo nodded in agreement.

  
“Arwen is visiting Lothlórien, so that she may know her mothers kin. I will send message to her that you have returned to us, Faerlavan.” Elrond smiled at his friend, “She will want to be here for your return journey.”

  
A few of the dwarves looked as if they were about to make comments, but were stopped when Elrond looked towards the door and said to Bilbo, "Mellon nín, I'm sure you remember my sons, Elladon and Elrohir." They heard what sounded like armor hitting the ground and Bilbo stood up in preparation for what he knew was about to happen, "Yes, I remember the day they were born."

  
Two identical elves raced through the door and to his side."Faerlavan," they said as they bowed. Bilbo rolled his eyes, "What have I told you about calling me that?" He opened his arms and they knelt to throw their arms around him. "Father has been trying to force manners on us since you left, uncle," they told him, causing him to laugh. Once they felt they had sufficiently displayed their affection, and embarrassed their father, they looked up at the elf lord in question. “Father, why did you not tell us uncle was returning?”

  
“He did not know. It has all been very spur of the moment. No one is good at planning any more. And you should have learned your manners by now, you are nearly three thousand years old.” Bilbo responded to the twin and then turned to face the table, where he could see Fíli and Kíli looked dejected. "These are my friends, the company of Thorin Oakenshield," he told the twins.

  
The dwarves acknowledged the newcomers with a nod, but did not speak. The twins took their seats near their father and began bombarding Bilbo with questions and information.

  
“Where have you been? You have only sent letters for the past 1500 years, and even those were sparse.”

  
“We have a little brother now, he is one of the Dúnedain.”

  
“We are full grown now. We have been fighting orcs with men for the past few decades.”

  
“Did you know that mother left for Valinor?”

  
Bilbo chuckled and held up his hands to pause the verbal assault. “I have been recovering, I am sorry if my absence caused you distress. Your father made me aware of Estel as well as your achievements in his last letter, to which I have yet to respond. I am quite proud, and I would like to meet Estel. And yes, I do know that your mother set sail, she sent me a letter after she made her choice.”

  
He glanced at the dwarves to see how much of that information had sunk in. He watched from the corner of his eye, as each of his companions would flash their eyes to him and then up to the ceiling, trying to figure out the solution to the impossible puzzle that they had been presented with.

  
The conversation continued for a bit, but the dwarves had clearly lost interest in anything other than trying to match all of the information they had gained tonight and the past few weeks with the person Bilbo claimed he was.

  
When Elrond formally ended the meal the dwarves scurried out in pairs, but none left the dining hall without giving Bilbo a significant look. He knew that tonight might be the night that he would have to tell them at least part of his past. They would not continue to trust him if he tried to continue passing off the story of him as a simple hobbit from the Shire, which was probably a good thing because he didn’t want to be traveling with naïve companions.

  
Bilbo excused himself from the table once he decided that the dwarves had had enough time to ruminate. He left after reminding Gandalf to discuss the map with Elrond.

  
Ori was waiting nervously outside the door that led to the dwarves’ room. “They just sent me to look for you. Everyone is very confused, Master Bilbo.”

  
The hobbit smiled warmly at the younger dwarf, “I know, Ori, I have come to straighten things out.” With that, he opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY SORRY SORRY that it has been forever since I updated this story! I have just been so busy with life and school and everything. I'm going to try to finish this story by the end of the year though!


	6. They Do Care!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dwarves show, in their own way, how much they care about Bilbo.

The room was warm, almost uncomfortably so, and the stares coming from all directions made it almost impossible to not constantly shift his eyes around the room. The silence was oppressive and finally Bilbo decided to end it, “Good evening.”

  
Thorin’s voiced rumbled, “Who are you?”

  
“I am Bilbo Baggins, as you are well aware.”

  
“If that is true, that is the only thing you have not lied about,” Thorin challenged.

  
Bilbo glared at him, “I have never lied to you, Master Dwarf. All I have done is kept my past to myself, and if you will hold that against me then I will hold the very same offence against you.”

  
Dwalin grunted, accidentally agreeing with Bilbo. Everyone was surprised that Thorin did not respond with violence, though the sneer he sent Dwalin’s way was close enough.

"Contrary to your obvious belief I did not live a life of solitude before we met," Bilbo said with an edge to his voice.

  
Fíli decided to take over for his uncle, “It is just that we are confused, Bilbo. You say you are Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire, but that cannot be all you are. There are so many bits of information we have been given these past few weeks but we have no way of putting them together. We just want to understand you.”

  
The hobbit smiled gently at the younger dwarf, “Give me the pieces of information you have and I will do my best to fill in the gaps. But I reserve the right to keep certain things secret, if I so choose.”

  
This time Kíli chimed in, quickly listing anything and everything that came to mind, “The elves have one name for you and that crazed man in the woods with the rabbits had another. You and Gandalf talk in riddles half the time, or you just communicate through looks. You understand Bifur when he speaks in Khuzdûl and you spoke with the Warg. You pulled an arrow out of the sky when I tried to shoot the warg! Everyone we have asked has said that hobbits live barely a century, but those two elves said the last time they had seen you was more than a thousand years ago, and you saw their birth three thousand years ago. How can all of that be true if you are just Bilbo Baggins of the Shire?”

  
Bilbo sighed and looked around for a chair, “I think I need to sit. This is quite the story that you want me to tell.”

  
Ori hurried over with a chair, and then instead of returning to stand beside Dori and Nori he stood between Dwalin and Bofur.

  
Once he was sitting he looked around the room again, glancing over the minds of each individual in the room, and what he observed warmed his heart. These dwarves truly had come to care for him.

  
“There is so much to this story that you want me to tell, and there are parts that I am not yet ready to talk about, but if you are patient and do not interrupt,” he looked pointedly at Thorin, “I will do my best to tell you everything that I can right now. When we reach the end of our journey, I think I will be ready to tell you what is left.”

  
All of the company leaned forward in interest, ready for the tale to begin. Bilbo worried over the beginning, “Where to start, where to start…” Just as he was about to begin, there was a knock on the door.

  
Thorin looked murderous, and Bilbo worried what he would do to the person on the other side of the door. He quickly went to the door before any of the dwarves had the chance.

  
He opened it to find a messenger, “Lord Elrond would like to invite Faerlavan and the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield to meet him in one hour in his study.”

  
‘Elrond and his timing,’ Bilbo thought to himself as he smiled at the messenger and sent him on his way. He turned back around to find that all eyes were still on him.

  
“What was that about?” Balin asked.

  
Bilbo made his way back to his chair and sat down, “Would you prefer to listen to Thorin complain about having to have his map read by an elf for the next hour, or would you prefer to hear the story of my life.”

  
Thorin looked as if he were going to protest but Dwalin’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “We are here now to hear your story, so tell it,” Thorin said begrudgingly, slumping back in his chair like a child throwing a tantrum.

  
With a roll of his eyes, he began speaking, “So where was I? Ah yes, the beginning. It is such an interesting tale, I should write it down one day, when I have the time.”


	7. The Story of Rísduflâd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo finally tells his story, or at least part of it.

“I came to Middle Earth at the dawn of the first age. I was not alone when I came. The three who accompanied me, well, I suppose you could consider them my siblings, but that is much too simple of an explanation. I have not seen them since the first age, but I know that they are still out there, and we communicate occasionally.” Bilbo paused, thinking back to the last time he had seen them, with a wistful smile on his face.

It took a moment, but he broke himself out of his reverie and continued, “You mentioned my names, well, I have had many names throughout the ages, but my first was Rísduflâd. It was a name chosen by Mahal and Yavanna, because of the blessing Yavanna bestowed upon me. I can change my skin at will into a variety of different beings and creatures. In every form I retain certain abilities that are useful, such as breathing fire, I can also determine a persons’ intention from their mind.

There is no tongue I cannot speak. I have chosen not to speak to you in Khuzdûl because I know how secretive dwarves are about their culture, and I also hoped to avoid the questions. Though I’m not sure I tried hard enough to avoid them,” he smirked to himself as he said this.

He took another pause, getting his thoughts in order before moving on with his story. “I took the form of a hobbit, and the name of Bilbo Baggins because something very upsetting happened and I needed time away. Hobbits are absolutely brilliant, and yet no one knows because no one has ever been interested in them. That is why I chose the Shire, because I knew no one would come looking for me there. Well, until that damned wizard showed up one morning, and you know the rest of the story.”

He gave them a few moments to let everything sink in. It was quite a lot to process. Finally he asked, “Are there any questions?”

It appeared as if they all had questions, were brimming with questions, and yet none of them could decide which to ask first, or even how to phrase it.

“So, how old are you exactly?” Kíli asked.

Bilbo let out a full-bellied laugh, “I long ago lost track of the years but I would say that I am very close to 7000 years old. Quite a bit older than Gandalf.”

“What did you do when you first arrived?” Bofur questioned, curious to know how Bilbo had occupied himself when there was nothing.

“We traveled to every corner of Middle Earth. We watched the world come to life. We witnessed the awakening of the first-born and the creation of the second. We helped each race learn and build and grow, and eventually we separated and went on our own paths.”

Ori timidly raised his hand and Bilbo nodded to him, and the young dwarf was about to ask his question when Bilbo glanced at the clock. “Ori, I am sorry to interrupt you, but if Thorin and I do not leave now we will be late for our meeting with Lord Elrond.”

He stood and began making his way toward the door with a, “Thorin, I very much hope you are coming with me,” thrown over his shoulder. Bilbo grinned to himself when he heard the heavy footsteps behind him.

*** 

They arrived only one minute late to the meeting with Elrond, and found Gandalf already there.

“Fate brought you here for a reason, Thorin Oakenshield,” Elrond said by way of greeting. “It is this night and this moon by which the runes can be read.”

The night continued on almost pleasantly after that. Thorin was still extremely annoyed that the map was being shared with an elf but he dared not air his grievances for fear of what Bilbo’s response would be, and that amused Bilbo to no end.

When they had finished reading the map Bilbo glared at Thorin until he thanked the elf lord for his help half-heartedly. When Thorin turned his back Elrond shot a knowing look at his long time friend, which was promptly ignored.

Bilbo walked back the room with Thorin and once they reached the door, he turned to leave. “Where are you going?”

“I am going to take a walk around the gardens, while I have the chance,” was the response he got from the retreating hobbit.

Thorin growled but did not say anything else, choosing instead to enter the room.

Bilbo strolled down the path, gazing dreamily at the beauty around him. Oh how he had missed the ethereal beauty of Imladris, and the company of those dearest to him. 


	8. Breakfast and a Special Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin waits up, Fíli is wise before breakfast, and Saruman arrives with a special guest

“We should depart at first light.”

The voice startled Bilbo, though he should have assumed Thorin would still be awake. He finished entering he room and shut the door behind him before responding, “You did not have to wait up just to make sure I returned safely, Master Oakenshield.” He paused for a moment, listening to Thorin sputter, but continued on before the dwarf could respond, “We have a long and treacherous journey ahead of us, and one more day of rest will do us good.”

Now that his eyes had adjusted to the lack of light he could see Thorin contemplating his words, and after some time the leader of the company sighed, “I suppose you are right. We should be as well rested as possible before we begin our trek through the Misty Mountains.”

Bilbo smiled to himself, pleased that the dwarf prince had no allowed his hatred of the elves cloud his judgment.

“Now, I do believe it is time to sleep, goodnight Master Oakenshield.”

Thorin grumbled something that sounded like goodnight as he lay down and turned on his side, with his back to Bilbo. The hobbit chuckled under his breath as he prepared for sleep, carefully ignoring the warmth spreading through him at the thought of Thorin waiting up for him to get back.

 

*** 

When he awoke in the morning, Bilbo was unsurprised to find all of the dwarves still sound asleep. He shook his head at them, smiling fondly, as he made his way towards the bathing rooms. He soaked for some time in the warm water, and only got out when his stomach growled.

Bilbo entered the dining hall and was greeted with the sight of Elladon and Elrohir tossing a young child back and forth. In passing he wondered where Elrond was, “What do the two of you think you’re doing?”

“Uncle!” The twins responded, nearly dropping the child, before setting him safely on the ground. “This is Estel, and he enjoys being tossed around.”

The boy looked at him shyly, “Good morning,” he bowed slightly.

Bilbo smiled at the boy, “It is nice to meet you, Estel, I have heard quite a bit about you.” He moved closer to the boy and whispered to him conspiratorially, “If these two are bothering you say the word and I will put a stop to it immediately.”

Estel blushed and shook his head, “We were just having fun, I promise.”

The hobbit nodded and moved to sit at the table, “Would the three of you care to join me for breakfast, or have you already eaten?”

Elladon sat down first; “We were waiting on you to arrive, Uncle, before we began.”

“Maybe your fathers dream of the two of you finally learning your manners will be realized.” This comment caused Estel to snort, it was not everyday that someone would mock the twins. Since Arwen had left there had been no one but their father to keep them in check.

Elrohir looked ready to retort when Ori, Fíli and Kíli stumbled blearily into the room. “Why are mornings so early?” Kíli asked, as he sat down heavily on the seat next to Bilbo. Ori took the spot across from Kíli, and Fíli sat next to his brother.

“Ah, I see the dwarves have finally begun to wake,” Elladon began, and it sounded as if the next words out of his mouth were going to be an insult of some sort.

Fíli put his hand up to stop him, “It is much too early for dwarf elf feud nonsense. It is common courtesy to not begin insulting someone until they have had their breakfast.”

Bilbo nearly cackled at the look of shock on the twins’ faces, “Well said, Fíli. That is an important lesson that all should take to heart.”

Breakfast got increasingly less awkward from that point on and by the end the twins and the dwarf princes were exchanging stories of pranks they had pulled on unsuspecting family and friends. Bilbo, Ori, and Estel just watched on in amusement.

Slowly but surely the other dwarves trickled in, and none of them commented on the rambunctious siblings who were so caught up in swapping stories that they had not even noticed the presence of more dwarves.

It was not until Dwalin growled out, “Keep it quiet lads, or go outside” that the group even looked up. They all seemed surprised to see so many people in the room, but took Dwalin’s comment to heart and made their way outside.

“You’re corrupting my nephews,” Thorin’s voice was gruff, but there was no heat behind it.

Bilbo waved him off, “Exposure to new things and people will do them good.”

When he finished with his breakfast he stood from the table and looked around, “It is beautiful day for a walk, would anyone care to join me.”

It appeared as if a few of them were interested in taking him up on his offer, until Thorin stood up. Bilbo nodded and the two made their way out of the dining hall, pretending as if they could not hear the whispers that began as soon as they were out of sight.

The two found themselves sitting in silence by the river, watching the water as it flowed by them. Quite a bit of time passed, though later neither would have been able to say how much.

“What will you do, in the end, if we are successful and have taken Erebor back from the snake?” Thorin asked softly.

He turned to look down at Bilbo, who appeared to be pondering the question. “ _When_ we return your people to their rightful home, that is when I will decide what I will do next.”

Thorin opened his mouth to ask another question, but was interrupted by Bofur, “Gandalf has sent me to tell Bilbo that the wizard Saruman has arrived.”

Bilbo looked surprised, and stood immediately to follow Bofur.

“Who is Saruman?” Bofur asked as they walked.

“He is the head of Gandalf’s order and a good friend. I am surprised that he has come to Rivendell though, it must be extremely important to draw him away from his tower.”

They arrived at the doors to the main hall, where two elves standing guard opened them. Bilbo allowed Bofur and Thorin to move in front of him, and once they had entered they stepped to either side.

Bilbo’s steps faltered and he gasped when he saw who had arrived with Saruman.


	9. Surprise Meetings and Unexpected Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some old friends have come to Rivendell and while Bilbo is ecstatic to see them, he learns that one has changed drastically since they last saw each other, and not in a good way.

“It has been too long, mizim bâhel.”

“Of, my ghivashel,” and with tears in his eyes Bilbo made his way across the room and into the open arms of Galadriel.

It was not until someone cleared their throat that they broke their embrace.

Bilbo pulled away and smiled at her, “Do you have time this evening to catch up?”

“For you I have all the time in the world,” was her reply.

The hobbit moved to Saruman, pulling him into a hug. He pulled away almost immediately, stifling a gasp, “It is good to see you, my friend.”

“You as well. What scheme has Gandalf cooked up that has you traveling with dwarves again?” The way he said dwarves was the same as the way most others would speak of orcs.

Bilbo smiled, ignoring the jab for now, “I decided it was time for another adventure. We are making our way toward the Iron Hills for a visit.”

Thankfully the dwarves did not contradict him.

When the silence began to stretch on Bilbo clapped his hands together, “Well, I have spent quite some time with hobbits and have become very fond of their frequent meals. Let us all head to the dining hall!”

The dwarves were more than happy to follow as he lead the way from the hall.

Lunch was a joyous affair, Saruman was the only one to not partake in the lively conversation and swapping of stories. Bilbo kept an eye on him but it did not deter him from sharing one or two entertaining tales about his youth.

“And then he said, ‘Oy, you’re not too terrible looking for a badger.’ or at least that’s what I believe the translation to be.” The table erupted into laughter as Bilbo finished a particularly thrilling story.

Elrond stood with a grin, “If you will excuse us, we have some business to attend.”

He made his way toward the door, followed by Saruman, Gandalf, and Galadriel. Before she exited she turned back, her eyes finding Bilbo’s. The two smiled and with a wink she was gone.

“Elladon, why don’t you and Kíli go practice archery? Estel, would you be so kind as to escort Ori to the library, I’m sure he would find it very interesting? And Elrohir, would you mind showing the others to the training grounds?”

“What will you be doing, Bilbo?” Bofur asked, and all eyes turned to the hobbit, who smiled.

“Don’t you worry, I have a few things I need to take care of, I will see you at dinner.”

A few hours later the dwarves, as well as Elladon and Elrohir, had become bored and decided to search for Bilbo.

Though they searched Rivendell from top to bottom they could not find any trace of Bilbo. The hobbit kept his word and slipped into the dining hall right behind the dwarves that evening.

From the looks on their faces he knew they were about to begin bombarding him with questions so he held up his hand to stop them, “All in good time, my friends.”

While the answer was unsatisfactory for many, none more than Thorin, the dwarves did drop the subject as the wizards and elves entered the room.

Dinner was pleasant, though a little more subdued than the previous meal. Bilbo spent most of it chatting with Bifur and Ori about their activities of the day. Ori had indeed enjoyed the library and was very eager to make copies of some of the books.

“I might have a copy of a few of the historical texts that you are more than welcome to have.” Bilbo told him, ignoring the glare he received from Dwalin over the look of pure adoration on Ori’s face. He would have to have a conversation with the warrior later.

 

***

 

“You cannot tell Gandalf about this betrayal. Not yet.”

Galadriel and Bilbo had been going back and forth about this for at least an hour now, but the only indication the dwarves had of the conversation was the occasional utterance.

The Lady of Lorien had appeared in their chambers after the evening meal. She had greeted all of them respectfully and by name.

Initially the conversation had begun with all of the dwarves taking part. But Galadriel and Bilbo had begun to contribute less and less.

Finally Bilbo sighed, “I suppose you are right, mizim.” He then stood and looked at the dwarves and in that moment they could see in his eyes how whatever was happening was affecting him. His eyes, normally bright and happy, now looked old, tired, and sad, quite unlike the Bilbo they had come to know.

“We must leave before dawn. The White Council is meeting to discuss what to do about Dol Goldur and we believe Saruman will try to stop your journey.”

The dwarves were shocked, and Dori spoke up, “What about provisions?”

“Elladon and Elrohir are taking care of that as we speak. They were very eager to help, it seems that you have made quite an impression on them.” As Bilbo said this he looked at Fíli, Kíli, and Ori.

Ori blushed at the attention and Bilbo became aware of yet another heated glare coming his way from Dwalin’s direction. He smirked to himself.

Galadriel stood as well. “Take care on your journey, my friend, and may the circumstances of our next meeting be quite joyous.” She paused for a moment, and the tips of Bilbo’s ears began to turn red as she finished her statement inside his head.

She turned to Thorin next, “Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, long have you carried the burden of your people and for that you have gained the love and respect of many, even outside your race. When the time comes you will be faced with a choice, between forging a new future for your people and repeating the mistakes of the past. It is then that you should call for Ulgan Khevarûn.”

She swept out of the room, blonde hair floating elegantly behind her before the dwarves had even had the chance to comprehend her statement.

“How does she know so much about us? How does she know Khuzdûl?” Dwalin asked, looking accusingly at Bilbo, as if it were his fault.

“The Lady Galadriel is almost as old as I am, and has seen and done much. She has been known to have many friends among dwarves, including Narvi as well as dwarves that lived in the far east. She also is very talented with languages, and as she can read my mind she has picked up quite a bit.”

Most of them nodded as if that was explanation enough, including Balin, who began shuffling everyone off to bed so they were well rested for their early start.

Thorin placed his mat near Bilbo’s and once they were both settled he got Bilbo’s attention, “I am beginning to think that I will never understand you.”

The hobbit grinned at him, “Only time will tell, my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so (a million times) sorry that I am absolute crap at updating in any kind of timely manner. I'm naturally a procrastinator and I get overwhelmed easily by stress, which are two of the many reasons this story is taking me so long. You have all been very supportive and I am so appreciative of all of the interest in this story. I promise I will do my best to make the updates more regular!
> 
>  
> 
> Mizim bâhel - literally: jewel friend of all friends ; contextually: most treasured of friends  
> Ghivashel - treasure


	10. Disappearing Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dwarves have begun their journey through the Misty Mountains and as night approaches the mountains become even more treacherous.

It saddened him that Saruman had betrayed them, the Istari were sent as aid against the evil forces in Middle Earth. He still could not decide whether or not he should tell Gandalf, though at the moment it did not matter as he was in Rivendell and Bilbo, along with the dwarves, had begun their journey through the Misty Mountains.

The mountain path was steep and uneven, and the drop on one side had even Dwalin a bit apprehensive.

They pushed themselves throughout the day, barely speaking to one another with the intention of putting as much distance between themselves and Rivendell as possible.

Around mid-day they did stop for a few minutes to rest and eat. They sat in a line, some conversing, some napping. Bilbo and Thorin were seated next to one another in silence. At one point Bilbo muttered something but when Thorin asked him to say it again he said he had not spoken.

After the sun finished setting and the party was cloaked in darkness, it began to rain, and with it came what seemed to be a crash of thunder, but Bilbo thought it sounded too close.

“Thorin, I think that was a mountain giant,” he said, and seconds later, as if to prove his point, a giant boulder was hurled in their direction.

The dwarves began shouting and trying to find cover where there was none. Bilbo rolled his eyes at the dwarves, who were now just as likely to slip and fall off the mountain as they were to be killed by a mountain giant.

“Keep moving forward, perhaps we will find a cave.”

Suddenly up ahead of them a small light appeared and Gandalf’s voice could be heard yelling over the rain, “Over here, you fools! I have found shelter!”

The group raced to where the wizard stood and shuffled into the cave. Inside there was already a small fire lit. The dwarves collapsed along the walls while Bilbo and Gandalf made their way to the back of the cave, discussing the meeting as they moved.

“How did you get in front of us?” Bofur asked, incredulous.

Gandalf huffed, annoyed that his conversation was being interrupted, “I have very long legs, Master Bofur.”

“Yes, but how could you have passed us without us seeing you?” The dwarf continued his questioning, the rest nodding in agreement, as they had also been wondering that.

“You did not see me because you were not paying attention. I passed you while you sat for lunch, at which time I paused for a moment to speak with Bilbo before continuing along to find shelter for us all tonight. Are you satisfied with that response?”

Bofur nodded, somewhat placated, though still thoroughly confused.

Balin glanced up at the wizard, “What was decided at your meeting?”

The wizard and Bilbo made eye contact, Bilbo nodded and Gandalf sighed before sitting down.

“It seems that Bilbo and the Lady Galadriel were right, though for my own sake and that of my order I had hoped they were not. Saruman did suggest that the White Council step in stall your journey and was quite bothered to learn that you had already left. In regard to Dol Goldur he seems to be of the opinion that we should not interfere, he says that my fondness for Radagast is clouding my judgment.” Gandalf paused for a moment, and they thought he would continue but instead he nodded to himself and leaned back against the wall.

Some of the dwarves looked as if they had more questions, Bilbo raised his hands before any could be asked, and “My friends I think it is time we go to sleep. We have had a long day, and have many more ahead of us, let us face them as well rested as possible.”

With some grumbling the dwarves settled themselves and one by one drifted off. By the dying light of the small fire Bilbo could see that while all of the others had fallen asleep, Thorin still lay awake.

He made his way over to him quietly, so quietly in fact that when he tapped the dwarf on the shoulder he startled before turning to look at him.

“Bilbo,” he acknowledged, with a hint of a smile.

“How are you?” Bilbo asked, settling himself against the wall, next to Thorin.

“I am well, I have just been thinking of our journey.”

Bilbo nodded, “What about it?”

“All of the things that could go wrong,” Thorin said quietly, looking down.

They sat in silence for a moment before Bilbo spoke, “Well, everything could go wrong. We could fail, or perhaps even die,” He paused and took in Thorin’s slightly shocked expression. “But it does us no good to dwell on what could happen, right or wrong. We must focus on what is happening now because that is all we can control.”

The dwarf huffed and then let out a chuckle, “You are quite wise.”

“Of course I am,” Bilbo said, definitively.

Something caught his eye and he glanced to the other side of the cave where he could just barely see his Sting glowing bright blue.

“Wake up! Wake up!” He yelled, shaking the dwarves closest to him. Many of them leapt up immediately, into battle positions, not used to being woken in such a way. It was good they were standing as seconds later the floor dropped out from below them and they were falling.

Bilbo, made eye contact with Gandalf, who tossed him his sword and then Bilbo jumped in after the dwarves.

The group landed in a heap, grunting and groaning and trying to disentangle themselves, still quite shocked by the sudden fall.

Out of the darkness around them came dozens of goblins, some with torches, illuminating the dwarves faces. Bilbo hid behind a stalactite, just out of sight of the goblins, who were taking the dwarves weapons and beginning to push them toward where the goblins had come from.

Just before they disappeared around a turn Thorin turned and made eye contact with Bilbo who nodded and motioned that he would follow in time. The dwarf prince nodded back and allowed himself to be pushed around the corner with barely concealed anger.

Bilbo waited until he was sure that the goblins were gone and then began following. Staying out of sight and earshot while still keeping track of the group was challenging due to the number of goblins that were around.

As he passed over a bridge he heard a terrible noise from far below. It sounded similar to a creature in pain; it was a sound he had never heard before. His curiosity got the best of him and because he knew that Gandalf would take care of the dwarves he decided to investigate what was down there.

He jumped off the bridge and into the darkness.


End file.
